


Darling

by Dunderdwight



Category: The Blacklist (US TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:54:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27736447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dunderdwight/pseuds/Dunderdwight
Summary: Percy Hill was kidnapped by the notorious drug cartel known as The Liberation Front. She's not sure how, but her father is someone involved with them. She's been their prisoner for god knows how long, being used and abused by everyone who walks through the door. Until, the one and only Raymond Redington walks in and saves her. She fears that he has his own evil agenda for her and is apprehensive towards the man at first, until something changes and she suddenly feels different. Will these feelings last, and more importantly, does the man himself feel the same way?
Relationships: Raymond Reddington/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

Tears streamed down the small girls face until she could no longer see. Her eyes burned from all of the cryings she had done. You'd think after how many times the abuse had occurred, she wouldn't have any tears left, but they still keep coming. After the restraints on her wrist and ankles were removed, she slowly crawled her way to the flat and dirt covered mattress that sat in the corner of her metal cage. Her naked body was covered in goosebumps and blood-her own blood, or the blood of the men who came to her for a good fuck after a raid-she could never tell. Her body ached for sleep, but it never came. The nurses who treated her every couple of days had been giving her sedatives so that she was able to be used and abused by the men without passing out before they got off. Lucky for her, she still had half a pill left that she stuffed under her pillow, for awful nights like this one. She swallowed the pill down, using the small bit of water she had also been rationing. A half hour later, after tossing and turning, sleep finally came to her. Her body relaxing as much as it could-without any sort to blanket, it was not much. 

The next morning, she woke to the sounds of men arguing, just to the right of her cage. The cage was placed in the basement of an unmarked warehouse somewhere in the United States. She wasn't familiar with the U.S, as she had only traveled from her hometown of Calgary, to visit her grandparents in Oregon when she was a small girl. There wasn't much surrounding her cage, except for the water heater, and a wooden structural pole in the middle of the room. The men who kidnapped her spoke in Spanish, so she was never able to understand what they were saying, but this time, she could tell they were angry. The only English word she could decipher from their conversation was, red. She was too exhausted to even try to understand what that could mean, so instead she tried to get some more sleep and began to get comfortable on her small mattress. The men must have heard her as they turned their attention to her and began to speak in a calmer tone. Her cage door was harshly swung open and she was pulled from her attempted act of sleep. The man pushed her against the wall and began to touch her breast and ass. She had given up fighting long ago and went limp. This did not please the man so he jerked her body and spat in her face, causing her to squeeze her eyes closed even tighter. The man began to choke her roughly, screaming in her face, causing more spit to cover her eyes and cheeks. 

He began to pull down his trousers when suddenly the door to the basement was forced open and the sound of gunfire rung in the air. The man forcing himself on her let go of her throat and dropped her to the floor. On her way down, she hit her head on the concrete, causing her to scream out in pain. She went unconscious for all of 30 seconds before the pain from the fall awoke her. She was on the floor, a few inches from her mattress, her arm seemed to be twisted in the wrong direction, but she could only feel the pain from her head injuries. She reached up with her good arm and touched her head, feeling nothing but the warm and sticky feeling of blood. She suddenly felt the familiar sensation of adrenaline coursing through her veins. This sudden burst of energy allowed her to sit up and look around. She hadn't realized that the noise of gunfire had stopped and the room was now filled with the men she loathed dead on the floor. She could only imagine the number of bodies upstairs. She looked around, trying to find the source of death. Her eyes fell on two men, hovered over the body of one of the men. She tried to stay as still as possible, hoping that the water heater that was placed by her cage, would hide her small body. In her attempt to evade being seen, she knocked over her water glass that sat next to her "bed". This caused the two men who were previously distracted by the man on the floor, to look over in her direction. She hadn't been able to get a good look at either of them, as the darkness of the shadows of the basement had hidden their faces. But now, as she sat frozen from fear on the floor, she was able to see them properly. The taller of the two men was dark-skinned and very well-trimmed. His muscles showed through the black t-shirt he wore. But contrary to all of this, he had very gentle eyes that allowed the girl to loosen a little. The man to his right was shorter, but still, just as fit. He sported a black fedora and what looked to be expensive sunglasses. He wore a light blue 3-piece suit that hugged his body perfectly but was probably ruined due to all of the blood that covered it. The man also wore a very enticing smile, that made the girl's stomach turn. How could someone be smiling after the events that just occurred?, she thought. 

The smiling man spoke, with a voice so deep, it would calm even the most fussiest of babies. "Ahh, I see they left us a hostage. Dembe, would you go upstairs and grab a blanket? It seems as though they didn't care to give the girl any clothes. How rude!" At the sound of the man's voice, the girl scurried into the corner and found herself comforted by the thin mattress, which was a feeling she did not enjoy. She didn't trust anyone right now, let alone a man who was willing to kill, regardless of how bad the men had been to her. This action caused the man to slow his steps towards the cage, and she watched him look around the room for a moment, his eyes landing on a case of waters in the corner. He made his way over to the waters and grabbed one out of the plastic, before walking back over to where the girl was still cowering. The next words out of his mouth were chosen carefully and spoken with a softness the girl didn't expect. "Darling, I'm going to open the door now, alright? I promise I will not cause you any harm. I see you have already been through that enough." he said that last part while gesturing to her twisted arm. She had forgotten that it had hurt until he brought attention to it. She grabbed the arm out of fear and tried to bite back the pain she felt at the action. The man continued to stare at her with gentle eyes, waiting for the girl to give him a response. She slowly nodded, The man slowly opened the latch that leads to her, his eyes on her the entire time. As he entered the cage, he made sure to leave the door behind him open. This allowed the girl to let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding in. The men who captured her hadn't bothered to lock the cage. When they brought her to the basement, they had beaten her so badly, that there was not a chance in hell she'd ever be able to escape. Once she got her strength back, they had posted a guard at the door at all times. 

The man bent down to her level, but stayed by the door, allowing the poor girl to have some space. He rolled the water bottle he had brought over to the girl, causing it to land by her feet. She gratefully grabbed it and placed it in between her naked legs, using her good hand to attempt to unscrew the cap, but to no avail. "Would you like some assistance?" the man said with a small smile, slowly scooting toward the girl. She grabbed the water bottle from her legs and stuck her arm out, causing the man to stop in his tracks. He grabbed the bottle from her small hands and opened the cap, handing the bottle back to the girl. The bottle and the man's hands were now covered in the girl's blood. Upon noticing this, the man grabbed the neatly folded handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped his hands clean. After he was finished, he held out the cloth for the girl to grab. She was guzzling down the water when she noticed his arm was now stretched out to her. She hesitantly grabbed the rag from him and wiped her hands and face with it. During her cleaning, the basement door was opened, and the other man-made his way down the stairs. He carried a gray wool blanket and a large black sweatshirt with the word "RedSkin" written on it. She recognized the name as well as the logo that was also on the sweater. She realized quickly that she must be in the capital of the U.S. She wasn't sure why, but now knowing the location she was in gave her a little bit of calmness. Her kidnappers made sure that she never knew their location, her head always covered with a black bag, and her ears were fastened with noise-canceling headphones. So it was a relief finally being able to have some information. 

The man in the cage with her took the items from the man he called Dembe. Dembe gave her a small, pitiful smile before retreating back up the stairs. For some reason, she had forgotten that she was naked and when she realized this fact, she covered her breast with her free hand and look toward the items the man held. "May I help you get dressed darling, I'm sure you must be freezing?" she nodded once again and attempted to stand in order to make the exchange a little easier. This was thwarted by the throbbing pain in her head that suddenly fell on her as she attempted this action. "Darling, don't push yourself. I'll take care of you, I promise." the man spoke before coming to sit in front of her. He pulled the sweater over her head, pulling her hair through and placing it gently on the outside of the opening. He helped her pull her good arm through and kept the broken one tucked inside the sweater. He then pulled the blanket around her body and covered her as best as he could. She wasn't sure why, but the man-made her feel safe, and so she was able to relax around him. "Now that's a lot better, isn't it, sweetheart?" she nodded once again, grateful for the warmth of the clothing. "Now, to the hard part. As you've proven, you aren't capable of walking, so I'm going to have to carry you. Is that alright with you darling, or would you rather I get a female's help?" the man asked, his arm resting on her shoulder. The girl cleared her throat, preparing to give the man a verbal answer. She figured he deserved that, after being so kind to her. "No, that's alright." her speech was broken and her throat felt scratchy. She hadn't spoken since the night she arrived, using all she had to scream as loud as she could. The men, finally sick of hearing her, proceeded to beat her even further. The man smiled, and slightly stood up, getting in a position to lift the girl from the mattress. He placed one arm under her legs and the other around her waist. He made sure to avoid touching her bad arm as he scooped her up in his arms. He pulled her close as he exited the cage and made his way across the room and to the stairs. Dembe was waiting at the top, on guard, and moved out of the way when he heard the two approaching. The sun hit the girl's face as they reached the top of the stairs. The room they entered was covered with windows that looked out into the city. She shielded her eyes from the bright light by hiding her face in the man's chest. This action caused the man to hold her tighter and bend down to press his lips against her hair. They made their way across the room, the man making sure to avoid the bodies covering the floor. As he attempted to place her in the waiting car, parked outside of the warehouse, he smiled as she held onto him even tighter, refusing to get in alone. He obliged her by allowing her to sit on his lap and placed the seatbelt over the top of both of them. He signaled to Dembe, who sat in the front seat, to start the car. As they drove away, the man looked down at the girl in his arms and smiled once again as he realized she was asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first piece of fanfiction, not only for this fandom, but ever. So go easy, but criticism is appreciated. I'm not sure where I'm going with the story, but I have a few ideas. Thank you for reading, and thank you to those who left kudos! Those are appreciated, and help me stay motivated.


	2. Chapter 2

Even covered in blood and smelling like sweat, the girl in his lap was incredibly beautiful. He couldn't believe someone could hurt such a small creature, even someone as ruthless as the Liberation Front. Red figured they would at least have given her the decency of some food. The girl was skinny as hell. Her ribs protruding out, and her eyes a little sunken in. He knew that he didn't like people to pity him, so he tried to hold back that emotion as much as possible. He was, however, going to do his best to figure out how the hell this wonderful little thing, had ended up in the hands of such vile individuals. The Liberation Front was known as one of the biggest drug cartels on the east coast. Red had worked with them before and even formed a strong bond with a few of the men over a game of cards and some scotch of course. But after they had intercepted and attempted to steal some guns he was transporting for a fellow friend, he had to get his revenge. The girl was a surprise, to say the least. The cartel wasn't known for taking hostages, they usually killed anyone who witnessed their crimes and left no loose ends. But the girl must have been important. 

His thoughts were interrupted by them arriving at his safe house. With the girl still peacefully asleep in his arms, he slowly made his way out of the car and into the house. He placed his fedora on the coat rack by the door, before taking the girl upstairs to lay in a proper bed. He figured she would need constant attention throughout the night so he decided on a room that was close to his own. On their way to the house, he called his dear friend Kate Kaplan. She was practically a trained medical professional, treating many of his injuries over the years with both care and swiftness. He placed the girl on the bed as softly as he could manage and pulled the blankets up to her neck. He figured she might as well sleep until the women got her. He stayed by her bed in order to monitor her head and arm injury. He concluded that her head would be fine and that she didn't have a concussion. That much he could tell. As for her arm, she would be alright for a little while, but it would need to be treated soon. Soon after, Kate arrived, her arms full of bags containing everything the man asked her to grab. "Thank you for arriving on such short notice, I had no idea they had a hostage" Red spoke as he stood, going to greet the women. 

Kate sighed as she took in the sight on the bed, "Poor girl has probably been through hell and back. She's going to be traumatized Raymond, you need to be careful with her"  
"I'm well aware, Kate," Raymond spoke, knowing full well what trauma can do to someone.  
As Kate checked the girl over she said heavily, "It seems as though she's been sexually abused. We'll need to test her for any STD's and get a pregnancy test as well. I doubt those fuckers used protection."  
"Of course, anything she needs," said Raymond, running a hand over the girl's head. Somehow the girl had managed to remain asleep through all the poking and prodding Kate had done.  
"I see that you brought the things I asked" Raymond added, gesturing to the bags on the floor.  
"Yes. Clothes, shoes, personal hygiene items" Kate said, as she checked out the girl's arm. "This next part is going to wake her. I'm going to need your help holding her down. I have sedatives ready in case she gets too much to handle."  
"Do you want me to wake her first so that she can prepare herself?" Raymond asked, looking down at the girl.  
"That would be best." the woman said, grabbing the necessary supplies from her bag.  
Raymond knelt down so that his face was level with the girls, and softly stroked her hair as he spoke. "Darling, I'm going to need you to wake up now. We need to treat that arm of yours."  
The girl stirred after a few seconds, looking around the room with squinted eyes before landing on Raymond. Her body seemed to relax as her eyes caught his.  
"Water" she finally spoke, with a frog-like voice. Raymond was ready with the water and watched as she sipped it slowly, noting how it differed from when she had been in the cage. "Thank you", she spoke again, handing him back the glass.  
"Darling, this next part is going to hurt" he grabbed her good hand and intertwined her fingers with his own.

She nodded her head and closed her eyes in anticipation for the pain that would come next. Raymond nodded to Kate indicating that she could start the process.  
Before popping the bone back into place, Kate cleaned the surrounding area free of blood and checked for any signs of infection. The girls wounds seemed to be okay for the time being so the woman proceeded. The girls elbow bone was protruding out, not quite breaking the skin, but it was still visible. Kate tried her best to pop it back into place, but the girl would need surgery-for now, this would have to do. 

Around 20 minutes later, the girls arm was placed into a sling, and she was given some opiates to help with the pain. Raymond stayed by her side the entire time, stroking her head, and whispering encouraging words in her ear. For some reason, he felt like he needed to protect the girl with everything he had, and he didn't even know her name for god sakes! He figured he should ask, but figured he should get something in the girls stomach before she became too dehydrated. He stood up from his place at her side, and used his burner phone to call his bodyguard Baz. He asked the man to pick up some ingredients for a smoothie, as he figured the girl wouldn't be able to keep down more than that. As he hung up the phone, he turned to look at the girl who was now sat up on the bed, looking around the room in curiosity. She was most likely wondering why she wasn't in a hospital, and instead in a bedroom, being treated by one woman, instead of a team of medical professionals. Normally, he would take his wounded associates to a warehouse where a selected team of doctors would treat the patient with actual medical equipment, but he figured after all the girl had been through that she deserved the comfort of an actual home rather than a cold warehouse. 

"Darling, I've realized that I have yet to ask your name. As much as I loved calling you puppy names, I figure we should get to know one another, as you will be in my care for some time", as he spoke, he retreated back to his chair that sat by her bed.  
The girl looked at him with her dark brown eyes, and pushed her blonde hair behind her ears in an attempt to look presentable. "Percy" she spoke softly, "You can call me Percy"  
A smile found its way across Raymond's face, "What a beautiful name! My name is Raymond Reddington, but you may call me Red"  
A panicked look suddenly crossed Percy's face, and she scooted away from the man.  
"Oh darling" Raymond realized quickly that he should have used one of his many aliases, but in the moment, he felt like he had to be honest with the girl. "I'm sure you've heard awful things surrounding my name, but I promise you, I bring you no harm."  
That seemed to calm the girl, as her body relaxed into the pillows and she was able to look the man in the eyes.  
"Why did you save me? You could have just left me to die, or brought me to a hospital. You didn't have to go through all of this trouble" Raymond was glad to hear the girl speaking more than a few words, that was a good sign. 

Raymond brought up the back of his hand to stroke her face, and looked at her with a small smile, "I would never leave an innocent in the hands of another. The police would be at that hospital keeping you up until the early hours of the morning, pestering you with questions that you wouldn't know the answer to." Percy closed her eyes at his touch. "I couldn't possibly allow that to happen." Raymond would never admit that when he first saw the girl, she reminded him of Lizzy, a girl he had worked his whole life to protect. He couldn't allow her to be taken care of by another, just the way that he couldn't do the same to Lizzy. 

"Thank you" the girl placed her small hand on his and gave him a small smile, "I didn't mean to sound ungrateful.. I just haven't had someone be kind to me the way you have in quite some time," Percy said the last part while looking away, a sad look in her eyes. 

He couldn't imagine what the girl had possibly been through. He needed to ask her how she ended up in the hands of such awful men, but decided it was best to wait until tomorrow. It was getting late, and the girl needed to eat before bed. As that thought crossed his mind, he heard a knock at the bedroom door and stood to answer, but not before giving the girls soft hand a comforting squeeze. He took the smoothie and crackers from the gray haired man and set the items on the bedside table. The girl eyed the items and held her good hand to her stomach, realizing just how hungry she really was. She had been given some food by the men. A few pieces of bread here and there, and if she was lucky, table scraps of whatever they had eaten that night. Just enough food to keep her alive. She sat up further on the bed in anticipation of consuming the drink and smiled at the man gratefully when he handed her the green smoothie. 

Percy slowly sipped the drink, taking nibbles of the cracker in between sips. Raymond watched her, making sure she didn't need to hurl, and smiled when she finished both. The girl shifted uncomfortably and turned to Raymond who was washing the cup in the bathroom sink. "Raymo-I mean Red, I need to use the restroom" Percy spoke in a quite voice, embarrassed that she had to even ask. "Of course sweetheart, would you like me to get Mr.Kaplan?" he walked back to the girl, setting the cup back down on the table, before heading towards the door. "I wouldn't want to bother her. I think I can manage it myself, but I thought I should let you know, just in case I realize I might need help." she said with a small smile, pushing the covers from her body before realizing that she was not covered below the waist. A red flush crept up her neck and onto her cheeks and she noticed the man was staring at her, seeing it all. She quickly pulled the covers back up and looked away, avoiding eye contact. "Darling, you have nothing to be ashamed about, your body is perfect. And I have seen much more than that in my day, from people I know far less than you." he said this with a smile. This only worsened Percy's blush. He then searched through the dresser to his left for something to give the girl. Even if he was okay with her nakedness, he figured she might not. He found a pair of basketball shorts that would be a little big on her tiny body, but would have to do. As he walked back over to her, he noticed that she was starting to get some color back in her face. This gave him some warmth as he handed her the shorts. He turned so his back was facing her, allowing her some privacy. He heard the covers being moved and small grunts and she struggled to pull up the shorts. He mentally smacked himself as he realized she only had one useable arm. "I realize your need for independence Percy, but I am more than willing to assist you." The girl stopped her efforts as she realized that he had replaced the pet names he had been using, and used her real name for the first time. It sounded so beautiful coming from him. His deep voice suddenly made her core stir awake. She cursed at herself in her head for having such feelings. He was at least 20 years her senior, and she had just experienced her body being violated heavily by men over the past few weeks. She felt disgusted with herself that she could have such feelings.

She realized that she hadn't answered the man, and it had been at least 30 seconds since he spoke. She quickly answered, "Please". Raymond turned to look at the girl, who was laid flat on the bed, turned so her feet hung off the side of the bed. She had barely managed to get the shorts over her feet, and he couldn't help but smile at the sight. He held out his hand for her to grab, which she used to pull herself up to a sitting position. He assisted her to a standing position, with her leaning up against the bed. He got to his knees, and slowly pulled the shorts over her legs, noticing that she had a few scrapes on her knees and burns-that looked to be from a cigarette-on her thighs. He internally winced as he thought about what he'd do to the men who caused her this pain. He realized that his gentle touch had turned rough, and he heard the girl wince as his hand scraped a bruise that had formed on her hip. "Oh darling, I am so sorry" he quickly said, and without thinking, placed a gentle kiss to the mark. Percy gasped, as a shiver crept up her back, and found its way back to her lady bits. Noticing her reaction, Raymond quickly finished pulling the shorts up her waist and stood, his face inches away from hers. Their eyes met and her hand-not by her conscious choice- came up to touch his chest. Raymond placed his large hand over her small one, and squeezed it, before saying, "Let's get you to the bathroom darling. As much as I'd love to stay here, I don't want you to have an accident." he said the last bit with a small smile. Percy nodded quickie, glad that he had broke the tension-as lovely at it had been.


	3. .

It had been 2 weeks since Percy had been in the care of the infamous Raymond Reddington, and she had to admit, she had gotten quite comfortable around the man. She had yet to explain how she had been kidnapped, but then again he hadn't asked. She imagined he'd eventually have questions, as he would want to know the story of why she came into his hands. He had been treating her wounds over the past few days, telling Mr.Kaplan that he could manage the girl. She couldn't help but smile at his words. The thought of such a notoriously bad man wanting to take care of her made her stomach fill with butterflies. She had gotten accustomed to the intimacy that was involved with tending to her wounds, as well as the feelings that filled her mind as his hands touched her body. She told herself it was just because he had saved her. A lot of victims became attracted to their saviors, it was a common occurrence. But she couldn't help shake the feeling that this was different. She wasn't just attracted to him when he cared for her, it was the little things. Like when he held her in his arms the other night when she woke up screaming from a night terror. He stayed by her side even after she had slept, and was still there when she woke this morning, holding on just as tightly as when she was screaming. Her night terror hadn't been about the assault she'd experienced, rather it was about the night she had been taken. She tried to push the thoughts of that night, and the last few weeks out of her head. She didn't want to think about how worried her father must be. Even if he was the cause of her kidnapping.   
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She had been in a deep sleep when she had heard screaming from the first floor of her families home. She had been staying at her fathers home, on break before her last semester of college. She pulled the covers off her body, and slowly stepped on to the carpeted floor of her childhood bedroom. She grabbed her shorts and placed them on her body before opening the door and peaking down the hall. It was dark upstairs, the only light coming from behind the door leading downstairs. She made her way down the hallway, careful to avoid the squeaky parts of the hardwood floor. As she reached for the door, she heard the sound of something being smashed on the floor. This caused her to jump, her foot slamming onto one of the squeakiest floorboards. She heard the shouting stop, and footsteps make their way up the stairs. She stood frozen in place for a moment, before realizing it might be a good idea to run. As she turned to start her sprint, the door behind her swung open. She managed to make her way into the bathroom before the person behind her caught up. She locked the bathroom door and hid behind the shower curtain. The person banged their hands on the door, shouting something in Spanish. The banging stopped for a brief moment, before the door was suddenly shoved open, breaking from its hinges. As the door hit the tile floor, she screamed, allowing the intruder to know her location. 

The man pushed aside the shower curtain before grabbing the girl from her sitting position in the tub. He pulled her over his shoulder, his hands grasping her kicking legs tightly as he exited the bathroom. He brought her downstairs where several other men waiting in anticipation. She was placed onto a chair, her hands and feet quickly tied behind her. In her frantic looks around the room, she noticed her father badly beaten on the floor in front of her. "What have you done to him?! Why are you in my house?!" she asked, surprised at her sudden courage. The men around her just laughed and one man spoke in Spanish to her, the only word she recognized, was father. "Dad! Wake up please! What's going on? What are these men doing here?" she squirmed in the chair, trying to scoot it closer to her father. The man only blinked up at her, blood covering his face, his eyes only barely visible through the swollen skin. "Please! Someone help! " her voice strained, she screamed as loudly as she could manage, hoping that one of her neighbors had heard the commotion. But no one came, and before she knew it, she was taken from her fathers home, his body left on the living room floor. Dead or Alive? she didnt know. She had no idea why these men had came into her home and disrupted her life. Her father was a good man, always doing what he was supposed to do. Never getting involved with the types of people she had spent the last few weeks with. She hoped Red might have the answers she seeked, he had know them in some capacity afterall.   
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"Sweetheart?" her thoughts were disrupted by the one and only. They had been eating breakfast when her mind had wondered. Red had brought her downstairs to the dining room, after her arm had begun to feel better. She had managed to stomach actually food a few days ago, glad to be done with the smoothies that Mr.Kaplan insisted she drink. They were good for the first few days, but there were only so many combinations of fruit, that they eventually made her want to gag at the thought of consuming another. Percy assumed there was more than fruit in the drinks, as she would need more than that to be able to regain her strength. She had also saw Dembe crush up some pills into the smoothie, the man not noticing that she had stirred. She knew that Red or his friends would never put anything dangerous in the drink, figuring that they were just vitamins. But nonetheless, they had helped. 

"Sorry" she responded to the man a few moments later, her attention going back to the plate in front of her. They had dined together for every meal for the past week. It was the only time she had seen the man aside from a few minutes at bed time, when he came in to say goodnight and check in with Mr.Kaplan about her condition. She assumed, as the 4th most wanted man in the country, that he had other things to tend to besides the girl. As she took her last bite, Red stood to clear the table, taking her plate along with his to the sink behind them. She heard the water turn on as she stood, retreating to the back porch. It had become her favorite place to relax during the mornings. She slowly sat on the porch swing, relaxing her body into the coushins. She adjusted her bad arm in the sling and rested it on one of the several pillows scattered around her. Her arm had managed to heal fairly quickly, this was helped by the pins that were placed in it a few days prior. Red had brought in another of his associates who had performed a small surgery on her elbow, leaving nothing but a small mark. She was baffled. When she had her tonsils removed at 7, the scar in the back of her throat had been bigger. Percy guessed that surgery wasn't the only thing this man did involving the human body. The thought made her shiver, but she pushed it away as the back door opened, Red walking out. Her made his way over to her, choosing to sit close to her, their arms brushing.

"God I love the fall! It's the perfect temperature for a few months, and the leaves are wonderful colors" Raymond relaxed his back into the coushins, sighing as he spoke.   
"Yeah, it's my favorite season. For all of those reasons, but also because I love Halloween" Percy said with a smile, crossing her legs. The two had become quite comfortable with another, but never going beyond casual small talk. Raymond didn't want to push the girl too far. He wanted her to come to him. Tell him about what had happen, or anything else she might want to share. But god was it hard. He wanted to know everything about the girl. She had captured his heart in the two short weeks. Her small smiles, soft hands and few words. There had been times over the weeks, that she had been concerned about him. He had come home a few times with blood on his clothes, and she was quickly at his side, checking him for injuries. Her checking him for injuries! After all she had been through. What a sweet girl. 

"Oh, and why is that?" he turned to look at the girl. She had begun to look more beautiful each day. The color returning to her face, the bruises that one covered her body, now mere memories. Her blond hair was softly blown by the wind, a small smile shown on her face as she looked out to the garden that was in the corner of the yard. "I could give you the simple answer of candy." she said with a small laugh." But, it's more than that. Every year, before I went off to college, my father would take me to this small orchard in Ontario, and on the drive there and back, we would listen to his favorite artists." Percy gave a small glance to Red, making sure he was still listening. He was, his whole body turned towards her, his eyes carefully watching her, She continued, " He always was so happy on those drives. So relaxed. He worked so hard to support me and my mother, and this was the one day of the year that he could do what he wanted." she ended with a sigh. 

Raymond couldn't help but ask, he wanted to know everything about her. "What does your father do?"   
Percy turned towards Red, folding her legs up to her chest, before speaking. "He worked for the government. I'm not sure what he did exactly, he kept it pretty vague, but he would work long hours. Leaving early morning, before the sun had come up, and not coming back home until it set. I probably should have asked, but I eventually became preoccupied with friends and boyfriends, that I didn't really care to." she said looking away from the man. Raymond quickly realized that she had spoken in past tense about her father. He reached to wipe the tear from her face that he had saw start to fall. "I'm so sorry. It's awful loosing a parent." Raymond tried to console. 

Percy looked back to the man, realizing she had yet to explain how her father was connected to the whole situation. She figured, now was as good as time as any. "I was at his house the night those men took me." Raymond's eyes widened, surprised she had finally spoken to him about her kidnapping. He thought he would never know, after all it had been quite some time and all he had cared about at this point, was her getting better. His investigation into her involvement with the men had hit many dead ends, so he left it for his associates to handle. But hearing a first hand account, and getting some background was better than what anyone else could give him. He composed himself and continued to listen to her account. " He was beaten to a pulp when I saw him, and those men-" she had to stop herself, and take a breath. She didn't want to cry in front of Red. She had done that enough, her night terrors filled with her screams and plenty of tears. She swallowed, and continued with a shaky breath, "They left his body- they left his body lying there." She could no longer hold the tears back, and she began to sob, her body shaking as she remembered the sight. Raymond was quickly wrapped around her, bringing her to his lap. She fought his touch at first, not wanting to seem like she was a child, but quickly relaxed as he began rubbing small circles on her back. She leaned into his chest, her tears covering his vest, but Red didn't seem to mind. 

They sat there for what seemed to be hours, but in reality was only a few minutes, before she finally met his eyes, which were full of concern. She wiped her tears, trying to regain whatever shred of dignity she might have left.   
"Percy darling" he started, " You don't have to talk about it. I will never expect you to explain, especially with how recent the events are. " he placed a small kiss on her forehead, and pulled her body into his, hugging her tightly. He started to rock her as he felt her sobs start once again. "Let it out sweetheart, you've been so strong. I'm here for you." Hearing those words made her heart beat in her chest, scared he might hear it, she slowly pulled away from him. She took a few breaths, the last bit of tears finally falling before she was able to hold still. "Thank you" she said quietly. "I don't know what I did to deserve such kindness" she looked up at him while saying the last part. He kissed her once more, this time on her cheek. "Darling, you deserve the world. I am only giving you what I can. And I only hope that it's enough" he spoke those words in a whisper, into her small ear. "But you dont even know me. But you've treated me as if I were someone you-" she stopped herself, not wanting to say the word. Raymond only smiled, then suddenly without any warning, pulled her hair away from her ear that was closest to him and whispered, "someone I love?".


End file.
